Utilizing an Effective Economic Approach to Family CourtL A Proposal for a Statutory Family Court in Pennsylvania

Source: (1998) Duquesne University Law Review. 37:1.

In this essay, Stephanie Domitrovich, a trial judge in Pennsylvania, explores whether Pennsylvania should implement a statewide unified family court policy by statute. At the time of the article, Pennsylvania employed a fragmented family court system consisting of specialty courts in the areas of orphans, divorce, domestic relations, domestic abuse, and juvenile law. In this context, she asks whether it would make better sense to unify the law (the courts, intelligence) with the family (heart) to understand the true nature of a family unit therapeutically, consistently, and efficiently. Thus discussing the advantages and disadvantages of a unified family court system, Domitrovich argues that such a system would provide more benefits to juveniles, families, victims, and society.